The Government of Western Australia has launched a thorough consultation process to reform gambling legislation and create a unified, modern Act. The Department of Local Government Industry Regulation and Safety in Perth spearheads the initiative, which runs until 12 December 2025. The review follows the Perth Casino Royal Commission’s findings, which labelled the current framework as “obsolete” and “not fit for purpose,” indicating that it does not meet the legislative objectives of casino regulation. The government is committed to modernising regulations, enhancing data governance, strengthening enforcement, and ensuring Western Australia aligns with national standards.
The consultation period for submissions remains open until 12 December 2025 and outlines a reform initiative intended to modernise regulatory frameworks, strengthen enforcement, and ensure alignment of Western Australia with national standards. The Government plans to develop a Decision Regulatory Impact Statement and intends to present a Bill by late 2027 or early 2028, targeting an implementation date of 1 July 2030.
The initiative enhances regulatory consistency, improves efficiency, and ensures accountability within state-managed systems. This initiative equips WA to address the changing needs of digital governance, highlighting data governance, cybersecurity, data infrastructure, and data collection and sharing.
Check out: “How to harness insights to unlock the power of data”
The Perth Casino Royal Commission recommends establishing a statutory data repository, overseen by an Independent Advisory Body. The Paper states that the Independent Advisory Body will identify necessary data, ensure accuracy, manage access classifications, and enforce anonymisation protocols to protect privacy. This transition creates lasting oversight supported by unified digital capabilities.
Specific policy reforms that affect data governance and digital government:
- The Independent Advisory Body will establish a unified data repository. This initiative streamlines data collection from casino operations and eliminates data silos among regulators. The initiative promotes data sharing to improve oversight, grant access for research, and allow for trend detection. This initiative creates uniform formats for transaction logs, harm-reduction flags, and AML risk indicators. Agencies create a unified source of truth for audits and ensure interoperability within digital government systems.
- Licensees and third-party gambling service providers must follow essential standards for privacy, cybersecurity, and data retention. Operators must implement verified Cloud Storage, ensure encryption at rest, establish breach notification procedures, and follow identity verification protocols. This initiative boosts confidence in data management and sets up uniform rules for handling sensitive financial and behavioural information across the industry.
- Authorise external service providers for hosting, analytics, payment processing, and digital platform management. This initiative expands responsibility in supply chains and requires transparency in algorithmic risk assessments, the use of AI tools, and compliance with digital frameworks. Regulators now have organised metadata for system behaviours and hosting locations, improving their oversight of outsourced digital infrastructure.
- Negative licensing for low-risk activities paired with stronger controls for high-risk digital services. This scheme reduces administrative burdens for minor operators while tightening scrutiny of digital wagering platforms, cross-border services, and payment intermediaries. The model streamlines approvals, increases regulatory coherence and provides proportional oversight for emerging digital products.
- A unified regulatory authority established a modern legislative framework for data governance enforcement, data infrastructure responsibilities, and digital compliance. This initiative streamlines state systems, removes outdated discrepancies in statutes, and creates a cohesive digital framework for audits, reporting, and risk evaluations. This ensures consistent classifications, definitions, and data flows across all regulated activities.
- An enforcement framework links penalties and sanctions with digital behaviours and data violations. The scheme addresses a lack of reporting on suspicious activities, system manipulations, unauthorised data access, and non-compliance with cybersecurity standards. It enables quick actions, platform shutdowns, and targeted enquiries through standardised digital evidence procedures.
- Legislative goals set the groundwork for digital government results by focusing on clear reporting, keeping systems secure, and ensuring accountability. A regulatory body can implement data-driven oversight, use predictive analytics to identify potential harm, and conduct automated compliance assessments. This initiative promotes collaboration among agencies and aligns with national systems.
The Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2024 enhances enforcement capabilities, increases significant penalties, and establishes a licensing framework for interactive gambling services. The recent adjustments align WA with the national standards for consumer protections. The proposed changes enhance this alignment by integrating digital reporting obligations and advancing risk management among all operators.
The document highlights the vulnerabilities related to AML and CTF throughout the sector. Casinos conduct financial operations similar to those of financial institutions, and the increasing transaction volume raises the risk of money laundering. The reform tackles the issue by enhancing enforcement through data analysis, supported by organised digital reporting and consistent security responsibilities.
The reforms represent an important update to a modern regulatory framework, focusing on strong data governance, digital oversight, and increased accountability. The consultation outlines a clear strategy to establish a consolidated data repository, enhance cybersecurity measures, and implement a cohesive enforcement framework with penalties that can reach $100 million.
WA’s gambling expenditure totals approximately $1.95 billion, demonstrating the importance of immediate transformation. Agencies and operators must initiate a thorough review of their data systems, cloud environments, and compliance processes. The Government plans to unveil a Bill in 2028, aiming for implementation by 2030.
Public Spectrum is the first knowledge-sharing platform in Australia to embrace the entire public sector. This website is a platform where you can connect, collaborate, empower, inspire, and upskill with public sector professionals.
Latest
Popular